Wikipedia Trail: From F.J. Gould to Theosophy

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 I began my Wikipedia trail on F.J. Gould, since he was the author of The Divine Archer. I wanted to learn more about him, and his Wikipedia page indicated he was extensively involved in secularism and humanism. He worked to influence society and focus on rational, secular thought through a variety of institutions. Eventually, he became the Secretary to the International Moral Education Congress, which became my second Wikipedia page. This academic conference was held in Europe from 1908 till 1934 and aimed to create a moral education across many countries. It was a diverse representation of people that were all interested in cultivating a better moral education. I noticed the president of this conference was John Stuart Mackenzie, which led me to my third Wikipedia page. John Stuart Mackenzie was a British philosopher. He studied at Glasgow, Cambridge, and Berlin, and his work was focused on the political economy. He was considered an idealist philosopher and a Hegelian. After he retired, John Stuart Mackenzie toured India with George Arundale and Bertram Keightley, who were both leading theosophists. I had never heard of Theosophy, and it led my to my last Wikipedia page. Theosophy is a religion created in the US in the late 1800's. The religion drew Hinduism and Buddhist beliefs together, and believers believe in a secret brotherhood of Masters in Tibet. These Masters were able to cultivate supernatural powers, and the religion advocates for universal brotherhood and social improvement. The logo for the Theosophical Society includes a Hindu swastika, the Om symbol, and other ancient religious symbols.

Logo for the Theosophical Society. Source: Wikipedia


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